A drug lord has been jailed after he set up a crime empire to flood the streets of Stoke-on-Trent with heroin and cocaine – just hours after being released from prison.

Shameless Mohammed Fazal met up with his underworld contacts after being freed halfway through his eight-year jail sentence to set up a new drug trafficking racket which stretched from the Potteries to the North West.

The 32-year-old ferried 13kg of cocaine and heroin worth up to £3 million to towns and cities including Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester and Halifax.

He was arrested after an 11-month police operation and has now been jailed for 15 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine.

Aneesa Ahmed was jailed after she was caught with £25,000 worth of cocaine destined for onward supply

His 16-strong gang included Aneesa Ahmed, of Price Street, Burslem, who was caught red-handed acting as a drugs runner for £25,000 worth of cocaine.

The 22-year-old ran up debts with a dealer after being introduced to cannabis following the breakdown of her marriage.

Ahmed - whose boyfriend Raja Mobeen Khan was responsible for drugs supply to the West Midlands - acted as a courier to wipe out the debts.

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But the taxi she was travelling in was stopped by police in Audley and officers found more than half a kilogram of very high purity cocaine in the vehicle.

Ahmed was jailed for 28 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in the summer.

Aneesa Ahmed was part of the drug gang

Manchester Crown Court yesterday heard Fazal, of Rochdale, was freed on parole on June 5 last year and within hours picked up two encrypted mobile phones, one for daily use and the other to use as a disposable 'burner' to use in drug dealing.

Mr Alex Langhorn prosecuting said: “There were multiple amounts of heroin and cocaine moved around the North West and Midlands. Fazal became the head of the Rochdale crime group and immediately after his release from custody he took on the operation.

“He used his contacts from previous times and also had contacts from another prisoner he was in jail with.

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“'This was a wide-ranging and complex investigation, but thanks to the diligence and professionalism of our specialist officers we have managed to bring down an elaborate drugs conspiracy.

“Drugs blight communities and ruin lives. These prosecutions send a strong message that we will not tolerate criminals attempting to profit from illegality.”

Tariq Hussain, Mohammed Hoque, Mohammed Abu Khan

Ahmed's partner Raja Mobeen Khan, aged 27, Tariq Hussain, aged 23, Mohammed Hoque, aged 21, and Mohammed Abu Khan, aged 27, all of Rochdale, were given respective jail terms of 10 years, eight years, seven years and seven years and a half years.

Zain Ahmed, aged 24, of Halifax was jailed for seven years. Hafiz Ullah, aged 34, of Nelson, got 10 years. All six men admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine.

Nasir Ali, aged 38, of Burnley, Samirul Choudhury, aged 29, of Rochdale and Aftar Khan, aged 30, also of Rochdale, were given respective jail terms of three years, four years and eight years. All admitted possession of drugs with intent to supply.